Too old for a tattoo?
Too old for a tattoo?
July 19, 2011
Anne Coogan
Herald.ie
Are you middle-aged and looking for a way to mark this new phase in your life? Well, if you're anything like Fern Britton, Jennifer Aniston or Meg Ryan, you'll get inked.
That's a tattoo to those of us who haven't yet gotten into the whole hipness surrounding body art. The message seems to be that women have stopped worrying about ninkles (or knee wrinkles) and are defying age and gravity by doing what rebellious teens do, and getting tattooed.
Former This Morning presenter Fern Britton has had two butterflies inked onto the lower part of her stomach. She's 53 years old.
Fern revealed she got the etchings after reading about Felicity Kendal having a star tattoo on her foot, and that The Good Life actress was planning more at age 64.
She told Woman and Home magazine, "At Christmas I got a tattoo of two butterflies on my tummy. It is Felicity Kendal's fault. I read about hers and thought, 'Why not?'
"Some of my friends have them and I'd been talking about getting one for ages.
"Then my daughter, Winnie, found some stick-on tattoos and applied one to my tummy. My husband Phil agreed that it looked good, so in my head that was a green light," she said.
Fern has also said turning 50 made her take charge of her life. "At this chapter of my life, I have the pleasure of being 'self-ist', as a friend of mine calls it."
Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston (42) appears to have eschewed the mid-life practice of buying a piece of art to express her individuality.
In place of an oil painting or a piece of sculpture, A-list star Jen has gone and gotten herself tattooed.
The Horrible Bosses star strolled through New York City recently in a pair of sandals, while showing off a tattoo on the inside of her right foot.
The word tattooed on her foot is 'Norman', and is apparently in memory of her Welsh corgi/terrier mix who passed away in May at the age of 15.
Jennifer became emotional while speaking about her departed dog during a taping for the show Inside the Actor's Studio in New York city.
The show's host, James Lipton, asked the former Friends' star to reveal her favourite word, and Jennifer said 'Norman' and became tearful at the mention of her pet's name.
Hollywood star Meg Ryan is also embracing the new trend for mid-life tattoos.
The 49-year-old actress strolled through Paris recently with new boyfriend, the singer-songwriter John Cougar Mellencamp, while wearing a pretty and sleeveless summery floral dress.
Clearly to be seen on the When Harry Met Sally star's left arm was an inking which reads 'Life is short'.
Meg is mother to adopted daughter Daisy (7) and son Jack (19), and hasn't starred in a film since 2009 after taking the lead in Serious Moonlight, which failed at the box office.
STOMACH
It's unclear whether the actress's inking is permanent or a temporary tattoo.
Not to be outdone, Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon (35) gave paparazzi a glimpse of a large tattoo across her stomach while holidaying in Malibu.
The actress sported a white bikini and a denim button-up shirt, and when a Californian breeze blew open her top, a lettered tattoo across her mid-section was exposed.
Witherspoon was holidaying with new hubby Jim Toth and her two children, Ava (11) and Deacon (7).
To tattoo or not tattoo? It seems a whole new generation of women are saying 'yes' to the chance of a little body art.
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